It’s Monday, which means most of us probably ask and get asked the “how was your weekend? question a lot.

Short answer: good.

Long answer:

I enjoyed a great weekend in and around Waterloo. It was sunny and warm, which meant I spent most of the weekend outside. I harvested a large colander full of cherry tomatoes from our veggie garden. We shared a meal with friends and saw Canadian musician Danny Michel perform at Bestival (the outdoor festival in Belmont Village). I enjoyed a long walk around Waterloo Park and watched the world go by as I sat on our beach (a small plot of sandy area overlooking the pond, which some people call a lake). I took my car through the car wash and then drove out to Stratford for lunch and shopping with a friend. I bought a ridiculous, amusing, and large octopus Jellycat that I will now consider an art feature / talking piece in our home.

And chores. There are always chores like laundry that get done on weekends. But noone likes to talk about that!

I’m glad I kept White Cabana alive even if I haven’t posted in two years. During this time, I have regularly shared links to old blog posts with friends (mostly for travel ideas). Each time I shared a link, I was able to have a little walk down memory lane, which made me smile.

And smiling is good.

Yesterday, I read through pages of my old blog posts. And you know what?

I really really really like White Cabana.

I have shared some beautiful spaces and objects over the years. I have shared some personal stories, too. I have shared so many travel photos. To my surprise, I still like just about all that I have shared. I was surprised to discover this actually. Even though a lot has changed in two years, there’s plenty that hasn’t.

I still dress in black and white.

I still use this Bentgo lunch box.

I still have an organized pantry in an antique French armoire.

I am still crocheting this blanket. Sigh.

I still would love a black and white striped sofa.

I still love doing the Globe and Mail crossword puzzle on Saturday mornings.

I still get this jumbo calendar each fall.

And I am still looking for the best kitchen garbage set-up. Help?

Reading years worth of my writing was interesting. It was interesting to observe the evolution of my writing and my blog. I clearly remember writing some posts, and I have no memories of others. I guess that’s natural.

Perhaps in two more years, I’ll be reading this blog post, remembering this time when I felt compelled to write.

When I pressed publish on yesterday’s blog post, it felt like when I first published a blog post back in, gosh, when was it? 2008? 2010? Will any read it? Do people still get updates in their inboxes?

And then I thought, cool. I wrote a blog post like in the good ol’ days of blogging. Before SEO. Before content creators and influencers. Before ads, sponsorship, and affiliates. Cool.

And once I published the post, I clicked around the back-end of WordPress. The first thing I noticed was the SEO analysis. According to this new-to-me feature, I did so many things “wrong” in yesterday’s blog post. No focus keyphrase! Missing social markup! What the what?

Things have changed in the blogosphere. I should have known.

I also spent a bit of time looking at the front-end of my blog. Meh. I need to clean it up. I re-learned how to customize widgets (like the things you see on the top/side/bottom of the page around the main middle area). Goodbye blogroll. Goodbye dated announcements. I was unsuccessful at deleting the Google ads. I’m working on it.

I need a fresh place to write.

I need to learn and relearn about this platform. I have lost touch with the “rules” of blogging, and I’m finding that the blogs that I do read are harder to navigate. There’s just so much stuff and pop-ups and banners. Many online spaces are just. so. cluttered.

I like white space. Even if WordPress or Google tell me I’m wrong.

After two years, I felt the urge to write a new blog post.

Getting here wasn’t as simple as I had thought this morning at 7am when I opened my computer. Why? Because I completely forgot how to log in. Over the last two years, I’ve gotten a new computer, set up countless new accounts and passwords, and packed away all my blog-related notes. Since I stopped blogging in October 2022, I’ve kept my site alive, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever want to actually revive White Cabana. Am I even reviving it today? To be determined.

This morning, I just felt like writing.

So, with no passwords or notes in hand, I was basically stuck at the login page. Luckily, my hosting company is (and has always been) very helpful, so I reached out, and voilà here I am.

Hello, world.

What did I even want to write about this morning? Gosh, who even remembers! I’ve been at my computer for many hours now…writing…writing emails, writing an academic article, writing texts, writing a PowerPoint…writing. But not writing a blog post.

I am happy to have successfully logged in, happy to have reviewed comments that have been sitting unread for years, and happy to have updated all my plugins as well as the latest version of WordPress (I missed many updates). I’m writing. I’m writing a blog post about nothing. Didn’t Seinfeld have an episode about a show about nothing? This is what this blog posts feels like it is. A blog post about nothing.

But I’m here. And I’m writing. And I’m thinking about White Cabana.

I might even write something else tomorrow. Or the day after.

At least I now know my login.

Let love in.

This is the message on the hotel key card that I picked up (and forgot to return) from The Clarence Hotel in Dublin. I found it in my purse when I returned to Canada, and I thought to frame it. The card has been sitting on my desk beside my computer since January. It has been sitting there since before freedom conveys. Before war broke out. War. An unprovoked war in a European democracy. How am I even writing that in 2022?

Let love in. The message is simple.

But in 2022, we still don’t get it. Why?

Hate.

Power.

Ego.

Money.

Greed.

Aren’t these things that education and religion warn us about? Encourage us to overcome?

The obstacles to letting love in are grand. Locally. Globally. The temptations are strong.

But what would happen if we remove them? If they vanished. Poof! Would the world be a better place? Would local communities thrive? Would global relationships be nurtured? Would we finally reduce harm to humanity?

I believe that one of the roles of education is to develop well-rounded citizens. It should also teach us to be critically engaged. It should allow us to

listen,

reflect,

question,

evaluate, and

create.

I believe religion can provide spiritual guidance and promote strong values. Love thy neighbour. Be kind. Show respect. Be compassionate. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

And all that.

I encounter conflict nearly every day at the university (my work place). I challenge, and I am challenged. I oppose and agree with other people’s ideas just as they oppose and agree with mine. I am lucky to work within an institution that is founded on principles of open inquiry, freedom of speech, debate, and the rejection of intolerance. As we create and share knowledge, we “question dogmas and established doctrines and encourage critical thinking in all students and scholars” (Magna Charta Universitatum). I know I am lucky to work in such a space.

When I see, read, and hear about local and global conflict – about war – I feel like education and religion have failed us. We are failing one another.

So what do we do about it?

We listen.

We reflect.

We question.

We evaluate.

We create.

and

We act.

We help. We protest. We defend. We talk. We write.

We learn.

We don’t repeat mistakes from the past.

We don’t harm one another.

We battle temptations.

We let love in.

***

Ways to help our Ukrainian friends: Red Cross Canada, Unicef Canada, United Nations Refugee Agency Canada (UNHCR), local Ukrainian churches (Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Saint Sophia in Waterloo).

Stay informed: CBC, CNN, scholarly sources (e.g., The Conversation, University of Toronto), social media (e.g., Mstyslav Chernov, Maksim Chmerkovsky).

Hello! Remember me? The blogger who loves white? It’s been a long while, hasn’t it? Is anyone still out there?

How are you?

Really.

How are you?

I’m curious about how you’re doing. What you’re reading. What you’re doing. How you’re coping. What’s making you smile. What you’re thankful for. What you’re interested in. What activities you’re doing. And if you feel happy.

I’m curious about all of these things, dear readers! Please share!

As for me? Well, I’ve experienced some changes. For the better. Although there have been mountains to climb and very stressful days.

Today, though, I feel good. Great, in fact. Minus my sprained ankle which is currently elevated as I type from the comfort of my couch.

I don’t have a dramatic story to share about my ankle. I sprained it (light sprain, I think) playing pickle ball. You know that sport which is like tennis and which is popular among seniors in Florida? Yes, that pickle ball. I rolled my ankle. My beau carried me princess style to safety, so I could rest in the shade while the pickle ball tournament continued. A friend subbed in for me, so that my 12 year old partner could continue to play. So, yeah, that’s the short story of my ankle.

Beyond that, my major news is that after eight years of living in my own home (my first home!), I moved. That was major. Double major because my beau and I moved in together. Woah. Big news, yes. It wasn’t a smooth process, unfortunately, but we’re settling in just fine now. He cleans out the sink drain (one of my least favourite chores), so that’s handy! I’m even trying to learn to live with a touch of colour. He liked my red office chair in the new living room, so we left it. Luckily, he’s okay with white, too, and we have many overlapping images on our Pinterest boards. Yes, he has Pinterest boards. Luckily for me, he hasn’t pushed too hard for neon lights in his music space.

Like others, I’m tired of the pandemic news. Can we all get vaccinated and move on with life? Give me a third dose and a passport please, so I can travel. I miss travel. A lot.

We’ve done some local travel, though. Cottage life has been a nice reprieve. A week in Ottawa with friends was fun. It was great to be a tourist!

I haven’t seen my nephews and niece (and sister and brother-in-law) in two years. Two years is too long. I miss them. Everyone has changed. I barely know what they’re interested in. Facetime is fine, but it’s not sufficient. When borders open, I’m heading south. Or they’ll come north. Or we’ll meet in the middle.

Work life is great. I am so so so grateful for my job. I love it. I connected with students last year in ways that I never had before. Many of my students had such a hard year. So many challenges. Sad stories. Trauma. It was a lot. This was the first week of classes for the fall term, and I just hope that everyone has a positive year and that they learn a lot!

And blogging. Where does this fit in these days?

Obviously, it hasn’t fit in my life over the last few months. But I miss writing. I need to make time for it. I’m not sure when and how, but I need to. It makes me happy.

And I want to continue to do things that make me happy.

Oh so simple.

I’ll be back, dear readers, and I hope you will be, too.

Better late than never, right? Phew – how did June get here so fast? And leave so fast, too? Since I missed my May update, I’ll combine the two months into one update post.

How did you do this month with your 2021 goals?

Here’s where I’m at with my goals.

1. Eat more vegetables. I know I didn’t get enough veggies in me in May, and I was feeling terrible. I ate too much fast food and take out, and I didn’t make enough time for grocery shopping and cooking. I changed things in June, and I got back on track with lunchtime salads and veggies at dinner.
2. Travel. Still on hold.
3. Save money. Not quite. I had a major life change in May/June (I moved!), which meant that my expense tracking went out the window! Now that we’re in our new house, I’m back to tracking our expenses.
4. Pass on magazines/books/clothes/puzzles. Sort of. I did a major clean-out (on account of the move), so I had plenty of boxes for donation. It felt good to pass things on that are high quality but no longer needed.
5. Crochet a blanket. I made some progress at the beginning of May, then put it on hold. For now, I have a great child-sized blanket.
6. Reduce social media consumption. This one is still a challenge for me. I scroll Instagram for no reason.
7. Renovate my bathroom. This one is now off my list because, you guessed it, I sold my house.
8. Play games. Games have moved to the park these last couple of months – frisbee and soccer, mostly. I’m eager to break out the croquet set though!
9. Edit my magazine subscriptions. Getting there! I didn’t renew one magazine recently.
10. Read more. Yes! I listened to My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite on audiobook, and I really enjoyed it. I read Elena Ferrante’s The Lying Life of Adults, and I thought it was fine. It wasn’t nearly as good as her Neapolitan novels. I also started to listen to Barack Obama’s A Promised Land. He narrates the audiobook, which makes it even that much better! I made it through a few parts before my borrowing time was up at the library. I’ll request it again to continue to listen to it.
11. Blog. It was really tough to keep writing in May/June.
12. Bike ride regularly. Not quite. I took a pause from biking, for much of May and June, but now that my bike is at my new house, I’m using it regularly.
13. Cross stitch. No progress here. I may have to move this to my 2022 goal list.
14. Have fun! There have been some very stressful days these last couple of months, and it was tough to find time for fun. Move-in weekend, however, ended up being quite fun because friends came to help!

Previous updates: January, February, March, April

Who else has drafted a list of goals to accomplish in 2021? What’s on your list? How did you to this month?

April has flown by in a flash. End of term kept me busy at work with early mornings and busy weekends. The spring term is right around the corner, so I’ve been prepping for that, too. While March had me down for so many reasons, April – and several days of sunshine – meant for some happy days (in between terrible Ontario lockdown restrictions again). I’ve had a decent amount of downtime to work on my hobbies like crochet and reading.

Here’s this month’s update of my 2021 goals.

1. Eat more vegetables. Sort of! I’ve made a few delicious salads each week (mostly with whatever veggies I have on hand + hard boiled eggs). I’ve also done so many roasted veggies, and they’re just delicious. These blistered green beans have been in heavy rotation. I’d like to get back into the habit of going to the market on Saturdays…I went to Kitchener market last Saturday after I hadn’t been in over a year. (Here are the gorgeous tulips I picked up at the market.)
2. Travel. Nope! Ha ha. It’s basically a terrible joke that I have this on my goal list, isn’t it?
3. Save money. Yes! I have continued to track of my spending for the most part.
4. Pass on magazines/books/clothes/puzzles. Yes! I passed on a stack of magazines early in the month. I also sorted through stacks of magazines and books I was hoarding, and I have been slowly going through my closets (very slowly). Items have been or will be thrown out/passed on/donated once Ontario’s lockdown is over.
5. Crochet a blanket. Yes! I’ve made decent progress this month (see my blanket progress). It feels and looks so nice. I still have another 274193 hours until it’s done!
6. Reduce social media consumption. Sort of! My aimless scrolling doesn’t last too long these days, but I know I can do better. Does anyone have any advice? Delete the Instagram app over the weekend, for example?
7. Renovate my bathroom. Nope! No progress here.
8. Play games. Yes! Bananagrams continues to be a go-to game. Nintendo and the weekly crossword, too, have kept my mind busy.
9. Edit my magazine subscriptions. Nope! Like in the last two months, I didn’t need to edit anything this month because none of my subscriptions were up for renewal. I haven’t signed up for any new subscriptions, so I think that’s a goal achievement, too.
10. Read more. Yes! I finished Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (part of my faculty book club at work). I also moved quickly through Black Buck by Mateo Askaripour, and I quite enjoyed the audiobook version.
11. Blog. Sort of! I started off slow at the beginning of the month, then picked up regular writing mid-month. It always makes me feel good to write blog posts – even short ones!
12. Bike ride regularly. Embrace cross country skiing. No need! Snow is gone! I’ve replaced my winter goal with a spring/summer goal – bike riding. And, yes, I did go for a few rides this month. It’s been a good way to see friends at a distance.
13. Cross stitch. Nope! No progress.
14. Have fun! Yes! I did have some fun in April…but I could have more in May!

Previous updates: January, February, March

Who else has drafted a list of goals to accomplish in 2021? What’s on your list? How did you to this month?

March has been a tough one on my end. There’s been a lot on the go personally and professionally, so I’ve had little to no time (a) for leisure time and (b) to remind myself of my goal list.

That said, here’s this month’s update of my 2021 goals.

1. Eat more vegetables. Sort of! While I haven’t had many salads this month, I have had a few delicious ones, and I made some veggie stir fry dishes to get some veggies into my diet.
2. Travel. Nope! I didn’t leave the Waterloo region at all this month.
3. Save money. Sort of! I have continued to keep track of my spending for the most part.
4. Pass on magazines/books/clothes/puzzles. Sort of! I have a stack of magazines ready to pass on.
5. Crochet a blanket. Sort of! I’ve made quite a bit of progress, but mid-month, I put the project on hold due to lack of leisure time. I still have another 274193 hours until it’s done!
6. Reduce social media consumption. Sort of! I know I can do better, but I haven’t been scrolling aimlessly through Instagram as much lately.
7. Renovate my bathroom. Nope! No progress here.
8. Play games. Yes! Throughout the month, Bananagrams has continued to be on heavy rotation. And I do really enjoy tackling the weekly crossword in the Globe & Mail, too.
9. Edit my magazine subscriptions. Nope! Like in February, I haven’t edited anything this month because none of my subscriptions were up for renewal. I did pass on a few deals for new subscriptions that came my way.
10. Read more. Nope! I really let the ball drop with books this month. I still have Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer on the go (for my faculty book club at work). I started Mary Lawson’s A Town Called Solace, but my library borrowing time expired before I could finish it. There are a few good audiobooks and paper books stacked waiting for me.
11. Blog. Sort of! I was definitely on top of things at the start of March, and then my rate of blogging declined. Shoot!
12. Embrace cross country skiing. No need! Snow is gone! Spring weather is here (and I hope it’s staying). It’s time to pack up my skis!
13. Cross stitch. Nope! My planned project is waiting for me.
14. Have fun! Yes! I did have some fun in March, even though there was a lot on the go!

Previous updates: January, February

It was over one year ago that news broke about an uncontrollable disease in China (January 2020). Little did we know then, right? Exactly one year ago (February 17th, 2020), I received a text from my dad with news about the COVID-19 outbreak in Codogno, Italy, and soon after that, news that my relatives who live in this small town tested positive. My uncle began a 40-day stay in hospital. So much was unknown at the time, and I spent days (and days and days) glued to the news and my phone.

By the time March arrived, COVID-19 was heavily present in Canada, and on March 17th, life changed locally. The university closed a few weeks before the end of term, and chaos ensued while my team and I sorted out new procedures. I wrote my first COVID-19 reflection post in April and a part 2 update in August. Now, as we near the one-year mark of when the pandemic hit Canada, I’d like to take another moment to reflect.

WORK

As you may remember, I started my new position at a new university in July. The time has flown! I have been so happy with the work that I’ve been doing and with the collaborative projects I’ve had with my new colleagues. I continue to feel very fortunate for the work that I do and the contributions I can make at the individual level with students and colleagues and at a group level with my university community and national organizations. My work keeps my brain very active! I am lucky. I find my work so fulfilling, and I go to work (down the hall to my office) happy every day.

While, yes, I’ve been very positive about my new job, there have been some dull days, too. Even though I had a successful first term of teaching virtually when everything was new (course, unit, department, university), by December, I was more than ready for a break. Since I spend most of my days on Zoom, I, like many of you, I’m sure, was so tired of the routine of logging on to my computer every day and sitting in front of a camera. Post-Christmas break, I was more energized to start the new term, to meet new students, and to make progress on my research. Things have been moving along at a decent pace, all things considered.

Overall, I have been enjoying my working from home life. I’ve had a fairly set routine from September on, and because I previously spent years during grad school working from home, this new reality hasn’t been such an adjustment in terms of time and workload management. I do miss casual collegial connections in the hallways, chit chatting in the coffee line, and getting involved in live campus events (speakers, art shows, theatre productions, etc.). University campuses are vibrant and energetic places to be and work!

PERSONAL

I miss my friends. I miss dinner parties. I miss lazy brunches. I miss loud family celebrations. I didn’t realize that I missed these things so much until more recently (lockdown life part two + winter blues). Yes, I have connected with friends over Zoom, and I make more phone calls now than ever before, but I miss seeing friends in person and other friends who I don’t connect with as regularly. Some days, I just don’t want to call/talk after a day of being online for work. There haven’t been porch visits and outdoor gatherings as there was in the warmer months, so I miss those opportunities to get caught up. I miss hugs.

I have been spending a lot of time outside this winter. More than ever before, I think. I used to dread walking to work in the snow or constantly watching the winter weather changes and considering how the weather would affect driving conditions. Now, I feel more grateful for the time I can be outside as this time becomes a welcome break during my Zoom-heavy days. I’ve been cross-country skiing with a friend, ice skating at a nearby frozen pond as well as at the charming rink at Kitchener’s Victoria Park, and walking with confidence on snow and ice because of my recent investment in these Icers.

I see the same six people fairly regularly in person. My bubble people, if you will. My beau and I laugh about our big date nights now consist of going to our parents’ houses for meals. Ha ha. It’s always fun, and I’m thankful we have parents who we can still visit with. It is of course still awkward to visit at a distance, avoid the double-kiss greetings (the Italian way), and barely offer a hug, but it’s still good to be with family. (I think they like being with us, too.)

Beyond date nights with our parents, leisure time during evenings and weekends include outdoor activities, a lot of movies and TV shows, cooking, crocheting (I’ve started my blanket), games (Bananagrams!), and puzzles (I’m just about to start a gradient puzzle…wish me luck).

In other personal news, I started French lessons on Zoom with my nephews and niece. We’re just a few weeks into our routine, but it’s been great! I get to see their sweet smiling faces, which makes me so happy! Beyond that, I get to speak French for 30 minutes (I’m taking a full French immersion approach to my instruction), and I get to see them giggle as they’re trying to pronounce words, repeat after me, or understand what I’m saying. They really were amused when I imitated the sound of a bird (un oiseau). Ha ha. So cute! They’ve been in virtual school (and more recently homeschooling) since last February, so I hope our French lesson will be a happy memory for them when they think back to pandemic life.

MENTAL

I was cranky quite regularly in January and February. A lot of things Everything irritated me. I think this was partly because of the pandemic life, but I also think the weather had a huge part to play! I was sad that the sun barely came out. I was tired of winter. I was bored of wearing so many layers to stay warm. I did what I thought was best to get through the month of January (and this month, too): daily walks, activities outside, dinners with my beau, happy light, healthier eating, etc. When February came, I thought I felt instantly better. But I didn’t. I was so darn irritable.

I recently read the article It’s Not Just You. A Lot of Us Are Hitting a Pandemic Wall Right Now and this short piece about coping skills. I found both pieces informative, and each shared good reminders about healthy habits (e.g., eating healthy, getting sleep, having time to unwind).

Now, though, as we approach the end of February, I feel MUCH better. I feel more like myself, and I’m back to being positive about life in general. We’re one month closer to warmer weather! Hooray!

HOW TO HELP

There are so many places that could use our support. The Food Bank remains a good place to send funds now and always. The Region of Waterloo has additional suggestions for ways to help. If you’re not in the region, I encourage you to look at your government’s website to discover organizations in need.

If you’re not able to provide financial support, other acts of kindness go a long way. Kindness, patience, and conversation are always appreciated.

Be well, everyone!

In 2020, I wrote (maybe for the very first time in my life) a list of things I wanted to do/see/eat/learn/etc. for the year. The monthly updates reminded me about what I did and didn’t accomplish, and honestly, I liked writing those updates. Some of you, too, may have been encouraged to write your own list of goals and to track your progress.

Considering all of this, I am going to craft a list of goals for 2021. At the moment, I have 14 goals (some of which, you’ll notice, are carried over from last year) at the moment, and I may add to this list as the year evolves.

1. Eat more vegetables. For various reasons, I am including this at the top of my list this year. Maybe I’ll commit to having at least one salad a day. Thoughts?
2. Travel. When things open, I’m going to get traveling again. There are places I want to go and people I want to see. 2021 just has to be more open to travel than 2020. Right?
3. Save money. I’m carrying on with this from 2020. Since tracking my money, I’m so much more aware of frivolous/unnecessary spending. I am going to try to make improvements in my spending habits, so I can achieve my goals.
4. Pass on magazines/books/clothes/puzzles. I generally already do this, so I’ll continue in 2021. I’m hoping this will encourage me to clean my closets more regularly (and also perhaps make me more mindful of random online clothing orders!).
5. Crochet a blanket. I now have a decent handle on crochet and numerous stitches. Now that I’ve (mostly) mastered pot holders, I feel that I should try something more challenging this year – a blanket. I have an idea of what I want to make, but now I need to buy the yarn and get started.
6. Reduce social media consumption. I spend far too much time on Instagram. I have considered deleting it altogether, but before I do that, maybe I’ll just try to reduce my time on the app. How much time do you think is appropriate? I haven’t yet finalized my limit. I also use Twitter regularly, and I can try to cut back on my time with it, but I’m not going to delete it as I learn quite a bit from it, and I use it for work, too.
7. Renovate my bathroom. I hate my bathroom. 2021 has to be the year that I give it a major makeover. It just has to be!
8. Play games. This can include board games, crosswords, puzzles, and outdoor activities. This will be an especially important goal if lockdown life continues.
9. Edit my magazine subscriptions. This may mean that I unsubscribe and subscribe to magazines. I’m not yet sure.
10. Read more. I read a decent amount, but I also have stacks of books that I haven’t yet read. I’m going to aim to read one (non-work-related) book each month.
11. Blog. My 2020 posts were sparse, I know. But I want to write and share more in 2021 like I used to. Design, art, travel, fashion – I want to write about what I find interesting and inspiring in 2021.
12. Embrace cross country skiing. I bought my skis and joined a nordic ski club last year, and I’ll be embracing this outdoor activity once again this winter. Last winter, I only went out a handful of times, but I’m hoping I’ll get out more regularly this year.
13. Cross stitch. When I gathered my crochet material from my mom a few months ago, I also ended up with all of her cross stitch materials. I have a couple of projects in mind that I’d like to complete this year.
14. Have fun! If I continue to do things that make me happy, I know I’ll have many fun days ahead!

Back in January 2020, I drafted a list of 20 things I wanted to do/see/eat/think about/read in 2020. At the end of each month, I’ve shared an update with you about what I have (or have not) been doing. Here’s the original post, and here are my updates for January, February, March, April, May, June, July. August, September, and November. Here is my final update of the year, if you’d like to know.

***

1.Complete the challenges that my family and friends set for me for my 40th birthday.
While I didn’t tackle anything specific this month, for the year, I did make a good amount of progress

2. Travel.
I took a little trip to the Niagara region this month. I know there are many people who are/were against traveling, but I took the trip. I felt safe, and I didn’t do anything wild or risky. It was a nice little getaway, which I was very fortunate to have, before the province-wide lockdown. While in the region, I ate at Prime, Ravine, and Noble. I had a spa afternoon at Christienne. I watched Niagara with Marilyn Monroe. I also enjoyed walking around the falls (brrr…). I recommend all of the above.

3. Learn more about the Waterloo region.
While I didn’t necessarily learn much about the region this month, I did shop locally at Benjamin Tree Farm, Harmony (jewelry), Hello Again (clothes), Gifted (gifts), Up Market (home decor), and Clay and Glass Gallery (art). I recommend all of the above.

4. Experience more art.
See above! I enjoyed a visit to the Clay and Glass Gallery shop while I was shopping for Christmas presents, and I watched a Laurier student string quartet performance online.

5. Play more board games.
I dusted off my old Boggle game earlier this month, and I’ve been doing crosswords in the Globe and Mail. I’ve also recently started a new puzzle (almost done it, too!)

6. Master my mom’s signature cake.

I made my mom’s cake several times this year, and I’m happy to report that mine are nearly as good as hers!

7. Wear more dresses.
Yes! I have been wearing dresses…even during my work-from-home life.

8. Consider adding more colour to my wardrobe.
Besides my red slippers, and my colourful glasses, I haven’t added too much colour to my wardrobe this month (or this year). I think I’m okay with this. Why force it?

9. Save money.
I have tracked my earning and spending for several months now, and I’m continuing to do so in the new year. I have things that I’d like to save up for, so I really need to continue to make a concious effort to track my money. December, I can tell you, was a heavy spending month! (And I didn’t follow any kind of budget.) Yikes!

10. Plan a major bathroom reno.
It’s on hold, but I think I may able to tackle this in 2021.

11. Eat more vegetables.
Yes, I have eaten more vegetables…mostly in the form of salads, fajitas, and soups. I made decent progress throughout the year, but there’s room for improvement.

12. Buy more fun socks.
I didn’t treat myself to any new fun socks this month. I bought some Christmas novelty socks for others though.

13. Connect people.
I connected two people earlier this month, so that was good. Another connection may happen soon, too. I’m still at it!

14. Clean closets regularly.
No progress this month, but my closets are FULL.

15. Trust my gut.
Yes. It’s still happening.

16. Get a facial.
No progress.

17. Embrace soup.
Now that I’ve got a handle on potato leek soup (yum), I embraced a new-to-me soup this month – potato broccoli cheddar. It’s quite good, and I’ll make it again.

18. Clean up my shoes.
I didn’t have any progress to make this month. Throughout the year, I do think I made progress on this task, but more can be done. And I really need to stop buying shoes because I do think I have enough to get me through until this pandemic is over!

19. Pass on my magazines.
Yes. I have done this regularly throughout the year. Yay! (My current favourite magazine subscription is Veranda, if you wanted to know!)

20. Have fun.
Yes! Even though we’re in a pandemic, I have been having quite a bit of fun (via work, Zoom and phone calls with family and friends, walks, Netflix, cooking, baking, crochet, and puzzles). I am very grateful.

***

And there you have it – my year of 2020 goals has come to an end. I think I’ll create a list for 2021, too. Stay tuned!

Back in January, I drafted a list of 20 things I wanted to do/see/eat/think about/read in 2020. At the end of each month, I’ve shared an update with you about what I have (or have not) been doing. Here’s the original post, and here are my updates for January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August and September. I completely forgot about October, but here is my November update (I’ve selected the items where I’ve actually made some progress).

***

4. Experience more art.
I took a little tour of the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery this month. It was such a pleasant visit. I really should go more often.

5. Play more board games.
I played Catan a few times this month. And Nintendo. That was a great purchase I made at the beginning of the pandemic, I have to say!

9. Save money.
I’ve been tracking my spending for four months now, and I still think it’s a helpful exercise. I’m mostly keeping to my budget, too, which makes me proud.

11. Eat more vegetables.
I ate a salad nearly every day for lunch this month, and it feels like a healthy thing to continue to do.

14. Clean closets regularly.
I didn’t clean any closets, but I did clean my pantry.

17. Embrace soup.
My mom gave me some of her homemade potato leek soup, and it was so good! Today I was motivated to make a batch for myself (using this recipe), and it turned out well.

18. Clean up my shoes.
Ha! Instead of cleaning them up, I’ve opted to add a new pair of gold sneakers (can you ever have too many pairs of gold sneaks?). You know – for the one day a week I go grocery shopping…sigh.

19. Pass on my magazines.
Yes. I’m happy to continue doing this. I have to take stock of my subscriptions one of these days and decide what I’ll keep and what I’ll end.

20. Have fun.
Yes! Despite the pandemic, the new lockdown in Toronto, and the new red zone designation in the Waterloo region, I’m still managing to have fun!

***

And there you have it – my November update. I’ll have a full update next month, and then maybe even a new list for the new year. What do you think?

Back in January, I drafted a list of 20 things I wanted to do/see/eat/think about/read in 2020. At the end of each month, I’ve shared an update with you about what I have (or have not) been doing. Here’s the original post, and here are my updates for January, February, March, April, and May. Here are a few updates of what I have been doing during the month of June, if you’d like to know (I’m only listing items I’ve worked on.).

And if you’re annoyed by my lack of posts or my goal-focused posts, stay tuned, because I think I’m just about ready to get back into regular blogging.

***

1.Complete the challenges that my family and friends set for me for my 40th birthday. I have so many movies still to watch, so I doubt I’ll be able to watch them and complete all the other tasks (some travel-related) by my July birthday. That’s okay. I’ll keep at it!

2. Travel. We all know I love to travel, but with the pandemic, I obviously haven’t done much with this goal. I’ve been staying around the Waterloo region mostly, but I have traveled to Toronto and Lake Huron for family visits. I have a couple of travel-ish plans set for July, so if all goes well, I can fill you in!

5. Play more board games. I’m still on a bit of a puzzle kick, and I have one on the go right now that is a photo of ice cream. Yum! This one is much easier than my first puzzle (Starry Night) because there are a lot of colour variations, and the puzzle pieces are different shapes and sizes. And, yes, I’m still playing Nintendo quite regularly. I still feel proud of my Dr. Mario skills! Now I should work on Donkey Kong.

7. Wear more dresses. It has been so easy to wear dresses now in the warm weather. I love them all, and I find it so easy to throw on a dress and be ready for my day!

8. Consider adding more colour to my wardrobe. I did add pink eyeglasses to my collection. Does this count?

11. Eat more vegetables. I have done okay with my veggie intake this month. And I’m excited for what’s to come in July as the lettuce, kale, and tomatoes in my little garden will be ready to eat!

12. Buy more fun socks. I bought fun socks for other people this month, which brought me joy. Check out these jar socks. Aren’t they fun?

13. Connect people. I made some connections between guest speakers and my students this month.

14. Clean closets regularly. I cleaned out two big closets this month, which was SO satisfying. I’m happy to share that I’m no longer a hoarder of empty boxes or bubble wrap.

15. Trust my gut. Yes, I’m still doing this. I feel good about trusting my gut.

18. Clean up my shoes. My shoe closet is so tidy now! Yes!

19. Pass on my magazines. Yes. I continue to pass on magazines. I’ve added books to this goal now, too.

20. Have fun. YOLO (you only live once), right? I’m still doing things that make me happy!

***

And there you have it – my June update. Thanks for reading! Have a great week, everyone! Here’s to a happy July!